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UBC Theses and Dissertations

AutoER : a system for the automatic generation and evaluation of UML database design diagrams Foss, Sarah

Abstract

Interactive question systems improve student engagement and provide opportunities for increased practice and skill mastery. Developing database design diagrams is a key skill for database courses, but providing evaluation feedback is time-consuming for instructors and accurate auto-grading is challenging due to the variability of student answers especially when labeling diagram components. This work presents a system for the automatic creation and real-time evaluation of database design questions using Unified Modeling Language (UML) diagrams. Students directly interact with the question text, and the system continuously generates a visual representation of their answer as well as provides immediate feedback at any time. By utilizing a web-based, customizable user interface, the system supports precise marking and the ability to practice variants of design questions to mastery. Classroom evaluations demonstrate high student satisfaction compared to traditional UML design questions and preference for using the software to improve their learning outcomes. Experiments also measured how submission limits, such as maximum submission limits and applying regression penalties, significantly improve student behavior.

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Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International